


world shifts

by mazabm



Series: world shifts series [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, after much needed conversations between all characters involved, my pride month gift to myself is bisexual women being alive and happy thank you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-05-18 10:19:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14850909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mazabm/pseuds/mazabm
Summary: Maria loses her husband on a sunny Saturday in April as he waits for her and the children in Central Park, it’s ironic that she loses him in the place where they felt safe and not in a war.  She tries to establish a new normal in the wake of his death but people keep entering and making that difficult for her.  This is the story of how she mourns a not dead man, is betrayed,  and falls in love (again), this is both the beginning, an end, and the aftermath.





	1. Beginning and an end

**Author's Note:**

> This was just suppose to be a threesome between the Castles and Karen and it grew to this lmao.  
> If you want to know where this story is happening, timeline wise, notes at the end.

The day she loses Frank, she kisses him on his nose then his lips and he laughs and promises her he won't be late to the park.

 It is their tradition after all, he returns home, they have a picnic in Central Park.  He leaves to go to war, but he always comes back, that's the deal, he made her when he asked her to marry him.  He had never broken it.

It's ends up being Frankie, Frank Jr., who makes her late because he can't find his shoe.  It's Lisa that struggles getting all the food in the car, it's herself that cannot find the keys.

It's her driving fast to get to the park after she gets the buzz of Frank's text. It's her that is stopped by traffic and flashing lights too close to Central Park, it's her heart that stops when she sees the police tape.

“Ma'am, this is a crime scene. You have to step back.”

“My husband is in there!  Where’s my husband?!”

“Ma'am, you have to step back.”

 “Frank!”

 

Maria Castle is the wife of the Marine, she's been ready to lose Frank since he went into his second deployment.  She's been ready to lose him to the US war machine, gone to the military wives counseling groups, she's gone to dinners with Generals.  She accepted that Frank was a soldier first before he ever stayed with her.

That's why it's ironic that she doesn't lose him overseas, no she loses him in Central Park on a sunny Saturday in April. It's not a man in a military uniform bearing a flag that knocks on her door, but it's am N.Y.P.D Sergeant who starts his statement with,

“Ma'am I’m sorry.”

They ask her if Frank was involved with gang activity, if Frank was something other than the hero he strove to be every day.  She’s insulted that his body gets originally counted among criminals.  She gets heartbroken that her husband was killed waiting for her.

She's written out what she would tell the kids if Frank had died in war over and over and nothing ever was good enough, nothing ever sounded right.  It's Lisa, eavesdropping and saying,

“Dad’s gone?” It's Frankie screaming as she struggles not to cry.

“The body is in evidence right now ma’am, but we will try to get it to you” from the Sergeant and it's the ashes that will eventually sit on their mantle.

 

She loses Frank not to a war (that they will call senseless and selfish years from now) but to New York near the tree where she met him all those years ago.  And despite what she told her heart the first time Frank came back from war, quieter and harder, she wasn't ready to lose him, not at all.

 

Time passes, and it doesn't get easier.  The funeral for Frank is small, his parents died years ago, her mother comes in to help with the kids.

“It will get better, mija” Her mother tells her, as she cries. She swears never to cry in front of her children again because they'll need her to be strong.

 Curtis and a few other soldiers that he worked with over the years are there.  A few Hell's Kitchens natives that watched Frank grow into the man he had become.  Billy pointedly isn’t, and he never responded to her text to call him. Curtis promises to watch out for them and if they need anything to call him. It's him that convinces her to send her children to therapy but it's also him she ignores when he asks her to talk to someone.

Lisa seemingly handles it best, helping her with the house as she works overtime while Frankie withdraws, becomes quieter. The therapist tells her they're doing as well as can be expected. She figures she's included in the they because she is doing about as well as expected.  She has nightmares of Frank waiting for them by the carousel and gunshots ring out as he screams for them until it's quiet. Sometimes she tries to convince herself he's on a long deployment, that the bed is as empty as it is because he's would normally not be there but her own brain tells her to cut that out and her heart aches again. And sometimes Lisa and Frankie sleep on Frank's side of the bed and they don't really talk about it but that is when she feels like it will be okay.

Sometimes she feels like she feels him watching them, protecting them. Her mind can't explain it away.

It's sad, she thinks, the way they mourn him.  Now that he's gone (for good) she can't help but think of the bad times, of the screaming of the tears, the fact that he missed every important moment in Frankie's life. She thinks about how she misses him anyway, misses him so much that she can't breathe sometimes and then there are days when she doesn't think about him at all, but those days are few and far between.

 

A few months past, it gets easier to breathe then Billy shows up and rips her new normal apart.

She isn’t sure if she wants to slap him or hug him, just looking at him makes her wish Frank was here, he looks the same except his hair is a little longer, growing out of regulation.  He survived the war physically unscarred and civilian life looks good on him.  It’s a Benz that pulls up and he’s not wearing a suit, but a very nice shirt and pants set that looks more expensive then both her paychecks. 

 

“Maria.”  He says softly like speaking louder would ruin Frank’s memory.  “I’m sorry.”  It’s been months since she’s lost him, and Billy’s words still hit her like a truck. He his arms out in front of him like he’s not sure if she will hit him or hug him.  She does neither, wraps her arms around herself and settles on.

“Where have you been?”

“I had to handle some business.”

“Business?”  And she’s shocked at how hostile her own voice is, and even cool Billy seems to flinch under her eyes. “You missed his funeral.”

“I know.”  The way he says it maybe he feels guilty. “And I’m sorry.” And even he knows how inadequate that sounds. “I’m here now Maria.  I swear, I’m here now.”   And here’s what she finds out, Billy is rich, he left the military and he owns a security company and makes more soldiers and he wants her to work for him.

“Absolutely not.’

“You won't take charity.”

“That is correct.” 

“This isn’t charity, you have a degree in math, yet I know you’re working two jobs.” She doesn’t ask him where he gets his information.

“Military benefits are shit.”

“I need someone to help with my numbers.”

“You need an accountant, I never got my masters.” (Because she was waiting for Frank, waiting for the right moment.)

“I need someone I trust.”  And he says it so firmly, like he believes it.  “You said you were my family once, I’m calling in on that.” 

“You’ll need an accountant.” It’s a soft argument.

“I have one,” he says.  “Do I, have you?”   He does.  She justifies it as he is something she keeps.  Frank kept her heart, she keeps his friends.

 

Working for Billy, changes everything, she doesn’t have to worry about bills and he gives her real work so she’s never bored (it’s not just money numbers, it’s supply lines,  risk assessment of men and everything she would have learned in an MBA course, he only offers to pay for her going back to school once and never asks again) she has new suits in her closet, expensive aftercare for her kids, she realizes everything is changing talking to her mother on the phone whose finally proud of her using her Math degree the way she said she would.   Billy forces her to train with his soldiers and she relishes the way she learns to throw punches and defend herself. She loves watching Frankie open up talking to Billy, and her heart breaks seeing that Lisa takes more time.  She knows it’s because he left them too after all.

It’s becomes a little easier to miss Frank, doesn’t quite stop her breath anymore but it’s still there. She thought working around Billy would be hard but the man in a boardroom is not the man she would meet with her family, no he’s colder, crueler, meaner.  Every word out his mouth is like a knife and when she messes up he turns that knife on her and always seems surprised when she fights back, as if no one else will. That Billy she has no problems being around, he holds no relation to Frank, no the Billy she has problems with is the one that comes over for dinner and helps her children with their homework, who they call Uncle and play games with. The one that Frankie treasures every word from (which is so dangerous)

She desperately tries to separate those two Billy’s from each other in her mind because one she can deal with and the other one only breaks her heart even more. 

It continues to get easier to breathe without Frank, she thinks she can start to move on.

 

Then Karen Page enters her life and it continues to change.

 

“Hello ma’am, I’m Karen Page.”  She stands outside, blonde, Maria looks up at her. She’s cute, has bags under her eyes.

“Yes? Can I help you?”

“Yes Mrs. Castle, I’m a reporter with the Bulletin, I’m here to talk to you about your husband, Frank Castle.”  And Maria tilts her head a little.  She has a dish towel in her hand and knows a frown comes to her face when Karen says this.

“Why?”

“I’m doing an article on veterans’ mortality and their stories back home.”  She stutters it across like she isn't used to interviewing yet.  A new reporter, Maria thinks.  Coming to drag up memories of her dead husband.

“Why Frank?”  And Karen purses her lips, tightens her jaw and Maria revises her opinion.  No, not a new reporter.

“Soldiers who died while they're still here hardly ever get the respect they deserve.”  Maria observes her, and Karen looks back and Maria nods, once.

“Come on in.”

Karen’s questions aren’t invasive, she has a way about her once the ice breaks on asking questions that make her want to respond.  She talks about Frank like she wishes she knew him, throwing out words like “hero” and “fearless”, Maria smiles at her.  She asks the basic questions, but then it’s becomes a discussion about the war, whether it was worth it, and Maria thinks about those lonely months without Frank, the days he would wake up gasping out his sleep, the fact there was a gun in every room (safely hidden from the children and empty, but they were there. He made her memorize their places, she hasn't moved them), his anger that he tried to hide from them and she thinks no, it wasn’t.  But she works for a private security firm and arguing with Karen, whose brother was so anti-war she had to pick things up from him, makes it’s fun and she finds herself laughing as time goes on.  She hasn’t laughed in months and Karen blushes under her eyes, smiling softly until she remembers why she came, and coughs, looks back down to her notes.

“Maria,” She asks quietly.  “How did Frank die?”  And Maria frowns.

“Gang violence.”  She says, quietly.

“No.”  Karen says, and Maria looks at her sharply.

“No?”

“That’s what the police report says, I want to hear what you think happened.” And she looks so earnest, like a puppy really, that Maria stops from snapping at her.

“There were three gangs, on a deal or something and Frank got in the middle playing hero to protect the other civilians, they shot him in the head.”  She pauses.  “I was late, if we had been on time, it would be our bodies next to Frank.” And Karen looks down biting her lips. “The police had the nerve to ask me if he was involved, if he had ever done drugs? If I was sure that I knew my husband.” Her voice is hard.  “I was down the street, it was almost us next to him and we were lucky we weren't.  Doesn’t make losing him any easier.” She props her hands on the table.  “Any other questions for me, Ms. Page?”  And Karen looks down at her notes.

“No, um, it seems I’m done here.” She's frowning at the table and there is a glistening in her eyes and Maria looks at her, she looks so young, and sighs.

“Karen, I’m about to begin making dinner, would you like to stay?”  And Karen’s eyes get impossibly wide, they’re so blue.

“No,” She starts. “I couldn’t,”

“Please.” is all Maria has to say to get the reporter to nod.

 

That she realizes later is what starts it, Karen and Maria.  After dinner with the kids, who Karen does so well with, bouncing questions off Lisa, complimenting Frankie, she stays to help clean up and then her and Maria over glasses of wine, talk.

“This is off record, right?”  Maria jokingly asks (and when was the last time she joked)

“Of course.”   Karen says seriously.  They talk about life, avoiding Frank now that it’s off the record, Maria talks about the kids, Karen talks about her friends, people named Foggy and Ellison.  Maria realizes with a start that they wear the same expression, frustrated fondness with the people in their life. 

“You work for Anvil?”  Karen asks, her eyes lighting up and Maria is sorry to disappoint her with her stories of sitting in an office manipulating currencies and numbers.

“I’m no soldier.”  She tells Karen, Karen looks engrossed anyway. It isn’t until they realize it’s almost eleven that Karen stands to go.

“I’m sorry for taking all your time.”  She tries to tell Maria and Maria laughs it off.

“Thank you for listening.” She says with a soft smile.  As Karen walks out the door, Maria finds herself stopping her.  “Karen, we have family dinner every Sunday, you’re welcome anytime.”

“Maria,” The other woman tries to start.

“I haven’t felt like this since Frank died, so please Karen. “And Maria hates how her voice sounds, so somber, so lonely and Karen looks stricken but nods.

“Okay.”

“A journalist?”  Billy says, amused.

“Yeah, a Ms. Karen Page.”  His smile disappears. Karen has a reputation it seems. 

 

Karen comes over nearly every Sunday, her and Maria watch Sunday night television together after the kids go to bed and laugh sitting closely on the couch, thighs and arms touching, Maria doesn’t really know what to make of the warm feeling in her chest around Karen, she likes it. 

 

The article comes out around September 30th, it one of short front page snippets that continues onto a later page and it’s not about Frank at all.  Apparently the 30th is Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day.  Leave it to Karen Page to find some obscure military holiday.  The article is titled “Forgotten Heroes, Gold Star Widows” and Maria laughs hard by herself in her office because that was a surprise. Karen went around the city, talking to widows and widowers and writing about the after of losing their spouse, about what they’re doing now. The article starts with Karen describing her. ‘Maria Castle has a gentle voice, sharp mind, and even a smile for nosy reporters,” When Karen comes over for dinner that Sunday, she smacks the article down in front of her trying to hide her smile.

“You got me, Ms. Page.”  Karen is blushing looking at her name on the paper.

“Do you like it?”  She asks quietly and Maria nods reaching out her hand to lay on top on Karen’s.

“Thank you.”  There is an article on Frank towards the back, a small remembrance of the lost, he was one of the many soldiers lost in Hell’s Kitchen over the year.  Maria finds that is a lot easier to breathe reading about it.  She still misses him, but it is getting easier and easier to breathe.

 

It takes weeks, but Karen does talk deeper with her, stilted conversations about her parents, nostalgic ones about her brothers, starting and stopping conversations about the men of Nelson and Murdock.  She asks Maria if she remembers the Hell's Kitchen of just a few months ago, the fires and the destruction, the heroes that rose. She admits that she lost Matt in the aftermath, that they had troubles in their relationship and then he was gone, and Maria thinks of when Frank would leave for a deployment angry, thinks about how she would turn from him in bed and then cling to him before he left.  Karen tries not to cry talking about Matt.

“It wasn't like true love or anything like that, but I miss him.” She admits quietly like it's a secret she wants to hide.  Maria moves without thinking to wipe the tear that falls.

“It's okay.” She whispers to Karen. “It's okay to miss them.” And just like that Karen tries to stop crying and Maria knows it's because she's thinking about the fact that she lost a friend (someone she cared about deeply yes but Maria lost her husband) Maria won't have it. “Don't hold it in.” Maria tells her, hugging her close. “Not with me.”

 After that something shifts, Karen is over a lot more often, sometimes for a quick second.  They do lunch and have coffee.  She helps the kids with their homework.  She's a friend.  Maria realizes, a real one.

Except sometimes the way she thinks about Karen is not the way she should think about a friend.  She thinks about her small pink lips sometimes, her hands.  (She hasn’t slept or seen anyone since Frank died, it’s been months.)  She thinks about the way Karen paces her living room sometimes glowing with passion and how she wants to kiss her, bring her down. She shoves those thoughts into a box in the back of her brain.

“I was lonely.” Maria admits, they sit in the dark, two glasses of red wine on the table. “You're helping.” And Karen chuckles darkly.

“We are all lonely.”  She sounds so much older then she looks.  “I sometimes think that that is all that life is, we're just- we're just fighting not to be alone.” And Maria reaches out to grip her hand hard.

In her free time, she does read Karen's other articles and realizes that her piece on Widows was one of her lighter ones.  Karen takes down corrupt politicians and mob leaders, attacks corporations, she should have a list of enemies a mile long. Maria jerks when Karen's op-ed about Daredevil and the Punisher mentions Frank.

 _‘Do we wait while good men like Frank Castle are unjustly killed or do we have a hero who steps in before people get hurt?  Before good men die?’_ Just who was Karen Page?

 

In the next few weeks Billy is up her ass, she has less time for the kids because he assigns her more and more work. She calls Karen one day to pick Frankie up for practice because she isn't done when she's supposed to be, and Karen says yes, seemingly elated to be trusted with the task. She finds herself smiling down at her phone.  Frankie tells her that night that Ms. Page is so cool, and did you know she knows how to beat the hardest level on one of his video games.  She is so glad that Frankie is soft where he could be hard.

She ends up not correcting Billy because there is obviously something wrong, he's tense, snapping at people. There have been Homeland Security agents asking around.  One comes to her home, asks her about Frank.  It's reminds her so much of when he died, and the NYPD questioned her she must pinch herself.

“Frank's dead.” She tells Agent Madani and the woman looks at her with sad eyes.

They may live in a world with monsters and aliens, but the dead stay dead.

When the bomber starts running through the city, she connects right away that he's hitting Anvil clients but Billy waves her away.

“Our men know what they're doing.”

Curtis calls her from the hospital to tell her that he was targeted, that the bomber is one of his boys and her world tilts a little.  The Punisher comes back to life and Billy surrounds her with her own security team, an offhand comment about if they are targeting Anvil they will have to get through him.

 

She's in her office listening to the radio when she hears Karen’s interview with the senator. She remembers the way the other woman has spun in her living room when she got off the phone. Her op-ed after the bomber had sent her a letter had sent shock waves to the city so it's no surprise.

“I got the interview!” She had said smirking, plopping into the couch leaning into Maria’s personal space.  Maria remembers smiling down at her fondly, her energy contagious.

Now hearing the way, she attacks the bomber, corrects the senator in defense of the Punisher all in one breath, Maria is speechless.  Karen is phenomenal but when the bomber calls in, Maria feels her heart drop.  Karen seems breathless but not scared almost excited egging on the bomber. Maria sends off a text before she can stop herself.

 _‘Pull back Karen, stay safe.’_ She knows the woman doesn't so much as look at the text from the way she speaks to the bomber on the call.  Maria paces her office listening and when he hangs up, she’s moving.

“I want a security detail on Karen Page.” She says to Billy.

“No.” He says without looking up.

“That bomber is going to target her, is targeting her. Take my men and give them to her.”

“No, Maria.” And this time Billy looks up, frowns when he sees the set expression on her face. “Ms. Page is doing an in-person interview with the senator tomorrow, that's our client, our men will be there.”

“And tonight?” She asks.

“You might want to keep Ms. Page close to you.”

When she gets back in her office she notices that Karen texted her back.

_‘I was doing my job’_

_‘You're coming over tonight.’_ She realizes she's not asking, Karen sends back an _’okay’_ anyway.

“I'm fine. And I already got the lecture about endangering myself from multiple people.” Karen says the moment she gets in the house after passing off hugs to Lisa and a high five to Frankie. “You have big black vans all over your neighborhood.”

“Suppose to be for protection.” Maria says. “Your bomber has been targeting Anvil clients.”

“He's targeting politicians.” Karen says with a frown.

“Exactly. Anvil going domestic means first involving ourselves with the locals, kissing ass for a few politicians, showing we mean business by keeping our clients safe why means necessary.” Billy gave her the speech a million times when she ran the risk assessment numbers for literally anything. She remembers he said, “If we can monopolize private militaries around the world maybe we can also help bring peace.” She hadn't bothered to call him out on how full of hypocrisy that was. She just did her job.

“It's rather ironic that the pro-gun control senator is using us but hey he obviously wants to be safe when there is a terrorist running around.” Maria says.  She reaches out and hugs Karen close. “You did great today by the way, I just want you to be safe.” Karen nods as she steps back. And don't pretend like you don't endanger yourself regularly, I've read your past articles, Fisk?”

“I was younger then.” She tries to say lightly.

“It was a little over a year ago Karen.”

“I know better now.” She says.

“Obviously not, come on.” Maria tries to relax, Karen sends off a text message to someone early in the night.

“So, they don't worry.” She says but they both sit pressed together on the sofa darting glances towards the door. The security team sends her hourly updates but they're so short they don't really do anything.

“I'm not scared.” Karen tries to whisper, and Maria grips her hand.

“It's okay to be, I am.” Karen falls asleep on her shoulder and when Maria wakes up there is a blanket on them, Karen is splayed on top of her, her blonde hair around her face like a halo. Maria thinks she looks beautiful and presses their foreheads together before she can stop herself. What she feels for Karen doesn't really have a name yet but it's warm and protective.

Billy calls her to demand that she come to the office and not the interview.

“Maria, I swear!” His voice is tense, and Maria's already given him enough fright this week from her proximity to Karen, so she relents.  She has Karen text her updates every hour and sends members of her security team to take her home early that morning.

“Maria,” Karen tries to say, and the way Karen says her name, the different ways, exasperation, sadness, shock, this time she says it like a sigh.

“No one is attacking me Karen, what do they gain from it?”. Then Wilson, the bomber attacks the interview and everyone in the office is on their feet, Billy is personally on scene, so she stays in the back of the tactical office and listens to military calls be sent through.  She finds out that the bomber killed two of their own people and took their badges, Maria makes a note to start having off duty soldiers still check in.  She discreetly picks up an earpiece and turns into Billy's channel.

“The senator is safely out, that piece of shit took the journalist hostage” and Maria's heart goes cold.

“Madani?” And then Billy’s earpiece goes out. She switches to another line, hears screaming.

“The Punisher is here!” she switches channels trying to put together a scene as the cameras go out.

“All clear.” On one channel. Billy comes back in.

“We need a cleanup crew on the bottom level.”

“Sir your face?”

“I’m fine.” Billy growls. “Tactical is Castle there?” And they look towards her.  She takes her earpiece off mute.

“Russo.” She says.

“Your girl is safe, the bomber committed suicide, but she got out safe” he mutters something about Karen being ‘resourceful’

“Thank you, Billy.”

“She's going to the hospital, check on her, and Maria?” She hums. “Don't do this again.”

 

She takes the rest of the day off, drives over to Metro General (they took Frank here) Karen is in a small room, Maria doesn't stop herself from gripping her in a tight hug., pressing their foreheads together. They’re mouths are so close (Maria could kiss her, but she doesn’t) “Never do that again.” She says. “I don't think I could handle losing you.” and Karen gives a laugh that's more sob then anything.  Maria looks up (she’s in her work heels so it isn’t that far) into Karen’s eyes and sees them dry and her heart clenches. “Only you could get kidnapped twice.” And Karen pulls away.

“You know what happened?”

“Tell me the truth.”. Karen looks guilty under her eyes, but she gives a deep breath and tells her about the senator abandoning her, about the Punisher saving her not once but twice.

“What is he to you?” Maria asks softly, at this point she is in the other chair in the room holding Karen's hand, her other hand in Karen’s hair.  It comes naturally to her, hugging Karen and holding Karen’s hand, and the other woman is so touch starved.  The first time she did it, the other woman had smiled so hard. (Later Maria will accept that she fell fast for Karen Page and didn’t notice)

“An old friend, I helped him a few times, he saved my life a few times.”  She says it softly, with a gentle smile (the same smile she has when she talks about Nelson and Murdock)

“So, you owe him now?”  And Karen shakes her head.

“That's not how we work.”

“He’s a criminal, Karen, killed all those people a few months ago.”

“Drug dealers, rapists, murderers.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.”  Maria says, she knows the Punisher killed the men that killed Frank, but she also knows he didn’t do that out of the goodness of his heart.

“There is a reason Maria that the women of Hell’s Kitchen feel safer when he’s around.” And Karen looks so passionate.  Her first article was in defense of the Punisher after all.

“By killing people.”  She says, peering down at the other woman who hunches into her chair.

“I know.”  Karen finally says.  “It doesn’t excuse anything he’s done but there are people who consider him a hero.”

“You do.”  And Karen bites her lip.

“You would too.”

She takes Karen back to her house after she is checked over by the doctors and she sleeps on her couch, face scrunched in discomfort.  If Maria sits so that Karen’s legs, make the table she uses her laptop on.  She avoids looking up the Punisher, the same way she avoids looking up the gangs that killed Frank instead she does the numbers of their shipments over and over picking at a few inconsistencies.  She doesn’t text Billy about them, she wants to be certain.

When Karen wakes up, Maria smiles at her so easy.  Karen looks like she’s going to cry for a second before she forces a smile back.

“You know I have a bed.”  It doesn’t sound like a come on and Maria softly thanks god for small miracles.

“You shouldn’t,” She starts.

“When are you going to realize that I care about you a lot,” Maybe in a few years Maria will even start using the L word again.  Karen’s eyes go soft and she reaches out and touches Maria’s hand.

“I care about you too.” 

Billy calls out of work the next day, but she knows he’s moving soldiers around. She tries to track where they’re going and gets locked out the system.  She goes home early, plays with her kids, Karen brings her flowers.

“For staying with me at the hospital yesterday.”  Maria blushes so hard.  They eat in silence, no one checks the news.

The next day when she goes in, everyone is on edge, Billy is still out the office and Maria has played with the inconsistencies, they go back to the beginning, one of the investors isn’t on the official paperwork, she tries to dig deeper and is again locked out the system. Curtis calls her from the hospital, telling her he’s been shot.

“I’m okay, just be aware. Okay?” She brings him one of the flowers that Karen brought her.

“Who shot you?”  She asks, conversationally over her candy bar, she brought one for him and carefully leaves it out of reach.

“I’ll tell you when I can.”  And the fact that Billy hasn’t answered her phone or text messages even when she asked him if he visited Curtis (everyone loves Curtis, Billy has always been protective of Curtis) her world continues to tilt.

Billy finally calls her, his voice smooth and in control.

“Take the kids and get out of town.” It’s an order and Maria snorts, she’s no soldier.

“Why?”

“Maria, why don’t you ever just listen to me?” And there it is, that tension in his voice He’s scared she realizes and trying very hard to hide it.

“Maybe because before you were my boss you were my friend, now explain.”

“The Punisher, he’s targeting me, members of my old squad, the FBI, Homeland Security, wants us to move.”

“Do we know why?”

“No.”  He says.  “But back a few months ago he killed Schoonover, you know our old Colonel.”

“Frank loved him.”  She whispers.  The man had come to the funeral to say a few words for Frank, fought for Frank to the NYPD when they tried to drag his name through the mud.  She glances back at the sleeping Karen on her couch.  It took a lot of convincing to get the woman to stay but she’s glad she did.

“Yeah, well the FBI thinks he killed two other people in our squad. And Maria,” Billy sounds almost hesitant.  “They think he might have killed Frank.”  Her heart stops.

“Frank?”

“Yeah, they don’t know why but they know he doesn’t normally stop with the person, he's incredibly thorough, he wiped out whole gangs Maria, he’s a monster.” There are some that consider him a hero, Karen voice says in her head.  But Billy sounds scared and hasn’t she known him longer.

“So, take your girl,” And she doesn’t correct him, Karen is her something, friends don’t spend the night every night since they were attacked.  “And your kids, and get out this city, whatever the Punisher is doing, I don’t want you near it okay?”

“I can’t just leave.” She says.  “This is my home.”

“Yes, you can, so that you can be alive to have a home to come back to. For me, please.” And Billy never says please.

“Okay.” She says.  “Okay.”

Karen woke up during the conversation and looks over at her clear worry in her eyes.

“What happened?”

“That was Billy.”

“Russo?” She nods.

“He, uh, wants us to leave town, the Punisher is targeting Anvil, him.” She corrects.

“Why?” Karen asks (she asks it like she knows but wants to hear Maria confirm, Maria can't)

“He's targeting Billy's old squad, Frank's old squad”. Since that first article she avoids talking to Karen about Frank, what she feels for Karen and what she felt for Frank feel far too similar in her head, so she keeps them separate.  “Billy thinks he killed Frank.”  And there is a shift on Karen’s face that’s too quick to follow.

“You would be safer here then leaving.  You know here.”  And Maria throws her hands up, she will not argue with Karen on this one.

“Karen if my children are in danger I can’t stay here.  It’s my children.”  And Karen fixes her mouth to say something and Maria shakes her head. “I cannot lose any more of my family Karen, not when I can avoid it.”  And the other woman closes her eyes in frustration.

“Fine,” She says, nodding like she’s already coming up with a plan.  “we’re taking my car, bring your gun.”  Maria agrees easily. She didn’t want to have to fight to have Karen come anyway.  The children come quietly, and Maria sits in the middle of the backseat with them where they fall back asleep on each of her shoulders.  Karen drives quickly and carefully.

“Where are we going?” Maria asks softly.

“I’m debating on down or up.”  She says when they stop at Karen’s apartment, if Maria notices Karen putting more ammo and another gun in her purse she doesn’t say anything. “Baltimore if we go down?”  She asks

“Upstate almost to Canada if we go up.”

“How long did Billy tell you leave for?”

“Just a few days.” They stare at each other, a smile tugging at their lips.

“Down.”  They say together.

“You know I’ve never been to D.C.”  She says bumping Karen gently.

“I went once for a school trip.”  Karen says, making sure everything she needs is together. “My father hated it, my brother though, Kevin loved D.C, that’s why he went there for his first few years of school.”

“Maybe you can show me some of his old haunts.” And Karen smiles sadly.

 

In hindsight, there were a lot of signs and she should have realized.  They don't even make it out the city.  They're making a turn when a van swerves in front of them and stops.  Karen, she realizes must have been a racecar driver in the past from the way she jerks into reverse and turns down another road where they're another van.  They’re Anvil vans, her own company and her world tilts off its axis.

 

“Anvil?” She says, and Karen looks at her with fear in her eyes. “Lisa, Frankie, heads down!” She’s not surprised at the way her voice sounds, this was Frank's voice after all when things had to get done. She loads the gun the way she remembers Frank taught her and Karen looks at it. 

“They didn't start firing, they're not trying to kill you.”. Her car flies down roads, tires squealing.  She had put her hand hard over Maria's when she tried to call the police. “Look in my purse for Agent Madani’s number and call it.”. The children scream after a particularly violent turn. Maria’s handshakes as she dials the Agent’s number.

She picks up on the 2nd ring.

“Agent Madani,” Karen snatches the phone.

“This is Karen Page, I’m currently running for my life with the Castle family.”

“Where are you?”

“W 54th & 7th now 6th.”

“Ms. Page, I need you to go up towards Central Park.”

“Why?!” The woman yells as she spins the car in the direction.

“Trust me! I'll have a team waiting for you.” Maria screams as another van tries to clip them on the side.  She grips her children closer.

 

“Maria call Russo now, especially if you think they're his men.” She does.  He doesn't answer.  “Try again!” She does.

“Maria it's late.” Is all he says.

“Call the dogs off, me and the kids are in Karen's car.” He's silent.

“They won't hurt you, just stop.” He says, and she wants to scream at how calm he is.

“I don't believe you.” She says and is shocked by how true that is. “I don't believe a lot of things right now but you I don't believe you most of all.”

“Where are you?” Is all he says in response. 

“On my way to Central Park.”

“Don't go there, Maria you won't like what you'll find. Maria please.  Maria!” She hangs up.

 

“Now what?” She says, and Karen looks like she's about to cry.

“Go on my phone and call Pete.”  Her hands are still shaking but she calls the number, the phone rings and rings.

“Karen.”  The voice on the phone says and she cries out in shock.  It’s Frank’s voice, she looks at Karen who looks absolutely distraught.  It’s rage she realizes that she feels in her chest, a powerful rage.

“I can expla- “Karen starts to say but Maria shuts her down with a sharp look.

“Momma,” Lisa says looking back and forth between the two women.

“Talk to him.”  She says thrusting the phone toward Karen who fumbles it to her ear she’s stuttering on the phone explaining the situation and she can hear Frank’s growls on the other side of the line.  Frank, her heart is doing some bizarre things and Karen keeps apologizing and Maria just can’t help it.

“Stop apologizing.”  She snaps, and Karen has tears dripping off the side of her face, she wants to reach out, to wipe her tears, but she doesn’t. She’s too angry.

“He wants us to turn here.”  She says, and Maria recognizes they’re at the far end of the park, she texts that location to Agent Madani’s number and has her kids get down in the car, both her and Karen have guns in their hands and Maria’s hands shake. “Maria,” Karen starts to say, and Maria shakes her head and Karen sobs a little.

“Stop, just stop.”  Lisa and Frankie stay quiet, they can realize when something is wrong.

 

A car pulls up and Agent Madani hops out, she’s by herself. Maria snorts, some team.   When she walks up to the car and sees the women, the red eyes, Maria sees her falter.

“Mrs. Castle, Ms. Page, my car is bulletproof if you’ll please move there.”

“What are you going to do?”  A gunshot rings out and all the women jump, the children scream.

“I’m going to do my job and get you guys to safety and then I’m going to make sure that this ends tonight.”  She realizes that Madani is vibrating with anger and Maria realizes she is not the only one to have her world tilt today.  “It will be okay, I promise. Now go.”

 

They huddle in the back of the Homeland Security Car, her and Karen wrapped around Lisa and Frankie, their hands are touching, and Maria can’t help herself from gripping Karen’s hands tight.  Karen looks at her with those impossibly blue eyes and Maria knows she’s gone, she tries to grip her anger a little tighter, but it just translates to Karen’s hand (a cruel part of her wants to crush the hope she sees in Karen’s eyes another part of her wants to drown in them)

When they see the ambulance go by and the flashing lights part of her know that it’s over.  This time, she was on time to the park and instead of losing Frank, she’s getting him back.

 

A Homeland Security agent opens the door, revealing with a sad smile that Agent Madani’s been critically injured.

“Where is Frank?”  She asks. The Agent shakes his head.

“We were advised to take you home.”

“Where is Frank?” She asks again, Lisa and Frankie are holding her hands, Karen has Lisa’s.

“He will meet you there.”  Someone else says.  “Director Rafael Hernandez,” He says reaching out his hand.  She doesn’t let go of her children’s, he eventually puts it down. “I’ve heard you have had quite the week ma’ams.”  Karen snorts.

“That’s an understatement.”

“You will be debriefed at your home, it’s late and you’ve been through enough stress and uh, I believe your boss is out of commission, so you have a lot of work ahead of you.”  And that’s the closest she finally gets to hearing about what happened to Billy. “I know this is a lot all of a sudden but Frank’s a hero.”

“Quite frankly sir, I would like to talk to him before throwing that hero word around.”

So, she goes home, Karen drifts off on her shoulder and Lisa sleeps in her lap.

“Dad’s coming home?”  Frankie asks her quietly.

“Yeah,” she says, “Daddy’s coming home.”  It isn’t right away.  They drop Karen off at her home and Maria hugs her after the children stop themselves, after that Lisa all but throws herself in Karen’s arms and Frankie hugs her side.

“I am sorry.”  She tries to say to Maria, but Maria just walks away.  It’s actually a few days before anything really happens.  She works from home, a lot of Anvil money came illegally, and with Billy being severely injured (the story is that he was injured killing the Punisher) she runs his numbers and his business.  She talks with investors, paces her kitchen floor, sits on her couch and it feels emptier without Karen there, and then collapses into bed. Her kids go back to school and she gives them a strong talk about not saying anything.

“When is Dad coming back?”  Lisa asks her once, and Maria shakes her head.  She tries not to think about Frank or Homeland Security, she doesn’t watch the news, but she does see a brief news alert about a shooting at Central Park and nobody died.

She tries to cobble together a new normal, without Billy, without Karen, and still without Frank and for the most part she ends up on her floor, just lying there.

It’s on a Friday when there is a knock at her door, it’s Karen. As blonde, tall as she always is and with deeper bags under her eyes.

“Karen,” She starts, not sure what she’s going to say, I missed you starts to leave her lips and Karen puts up a hand.

“This is how we were going to do it.”  She takes Maria to her couch and sits her down.  “Stay there.”  Her eyes are pleading with her, Maria doesn’t move.   “Maria, I’d like you to meet somebody.”  Maria remains seated but shifts when she hears a stuttering gait down her hall. “Maria, this is- “

“Frank,” She breathes out.  They did this at a right time, the children aren’t home yet, she’s between conference calls.  It’s been a few days and she’s not angry, well that’s not true, she’s still plenty resentful, but she knows she feels so much longing for them more than she feels anything else.  And that’s why she launches herself into his arms, tears sliding down her face.  He catches her easily (he always did). It’s only been months since she lost him and having him in front of her is the best and worst feeling in her life. She kisses him full of the way she missed him, and she hears Karen rustling about.

“I’m going to just,” She starts, clearly about to try to leave.

“No.”  The two Castles say together reaching their arms towards her.  Maria wipes her tears to see the journalist staring at them and Maria’s heart aches.

“Come here.”  She finally says and Karen slides into their hug and this, Maria will later say, this felt like coming home. “We have to talk.”

“I know.”  Frank rumbles and she smiles into his chest.  They did have to talk, all of them, all three of them (four, thinking about Billy) they would have to discuss everything. She knows that she’s still angry (resentful, bitter, so full of longing) but right now, surrounded by the two people that make her heart clench, that shift her words she’s content to be patient and just breathe.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline wise: Daredevil season 2 still happens, Frank gets shot in the head and he’s not okay, Frank just doesn’t go as hard because his family isn’t dead, he still angers and murders a lot of the three gangs and the DA’s office and kills Schoonover. However, he doesn't go to prison instead meets a middleman for Fisk and helps Fisk that way and therefore doesn’t get revealed to the media as the Punisher but Karen, Matt, and the DA's office put two and two together. Why don't they go to Maria? She's mourning and without any real proof, it's just rude to tell someone their dead husband is alive (a lot of characters go by this rule). Frank still meets Karen after killing Grotto and they become (what they became season 2 it just happens through multiple diners and not the hospital) It’s basically Karen asking him to stop and go home to his family and Frank not stopping until he finishes. He still leaves at the end, insisting he is not coming back till his family is safe which is the events of Punisher season 1 (which canonly happens after The Defenders season 1)which is what I’m really working with. Maria even though all the facts are in front of her refused to believe that the Punisher is Frank because she genuinely believes that her husband's ashes are on the mantle.  
> Anyone who knows why Billy gave Maria a job instead of killing her let me know in the comments! (tip: he doesn't feel guilty)
> 
> Part 2 is out soon


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the aftermath of Frank's return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I played around with this for a minute trying to see if I could do it in other povs but it’s Maria’s story (however I played around with those so much that this is a series because I’ll be releasing those, one day)

 

It starts like this, Frank gets shot in the head (this is an ending if she thinks about it), she loses him for a year.

It starts like this, Karen has a story, a friendship is formed.

It starts like this, Frank saves Karen, she saves him back, a bond is created (it’s strong from the way he makes her smile)

It ends like this, Frank and Maria and Karen hold each other in silence for what feels like hours, it feels like coming home. 

It starts like this, she eventually must let them go.

 

“How long did you know?”  She asks, and Karen’s silence is pronounced.  Maria closes her eyes to avoid looking at her.  “Did he tell you to come and see me?  To stay with me?”

“No!”  Karen says.  Her voice becomes impossibly small.  “He actually told me to stay away.”

“She’s stubborn,” Frank whispers quietly in her ear, and she looks at him, alive, colored with yellowing bruises but alive.  “Wanted me to come home from the very beginning.”

“And that was before you knew me.” And Karen nods.  It's set up like an interrogation, Karen sitting in a kitchen chair facing her, Frank leans on the counter watching her.  She's asking the questions, but she feels like she is the one being interrogated.  “Tell me what happened here.” she'll say, and they'll bounce off each other.  She'll ask them to “Tell me the truth.” And they will look at each other as if deciding if the other will lie.  She finds that angers her even more.  A lot of Frank's answers are about duty and Karen's answers are all about justice.  She quietly wonders if in their crusades they ever thought about the aftermath.

“He saved my life, Maria.” Karen’s eyes beg her to understand and she thinks she does.  “I wanted to save his.” There is more to it, she knows it in the way they look at each other (it's the way she looks at them when she forgets her anger for quick seconds, she can recognize pining when it’s right in front of her.  She wonders when it got there.)

“I had to protect you,” Frank says, and he says it like it’s the truth like he’s lived by it (and she guesses he has).   He created the Punisher for her (in their family name, in every kill), she hates to think he thought about her covered in blood.  That is something she must get used to, connecting the Punisher with Frank, looking at the news footage, the stories, the lies that Billy told her, it's painfully obvious that the two, the Punisher and Frank were the same but Frank doesn't smile or laugh like he used to (neither does she)

 

“I actually died.” He tells her that first night, “and I woke up and something wasn't right.” He presses a hand to his head.  “And when someone threatened you, my family, I snapped.” And she knows that first night he woke up he killed easily ten people because they were headed to their house to kill them.  She feels validated to know she didn't imagine him, he was protecting them but the soldier Frank who can kill in seconds, who did for her, for Karen, for crying girls begging someone to save them isn't the way she imagined him.

 

She and Frank tell Lisa and Frankie that Frank had to go into hiding because bad people wanted to hurt them, it’s an understatement, it’s not necessarily untrue.  He hugs Frankie for hours until the boy squirms away.  Lisa (almost 12 now) keeps her distance from Frank the same way she did when Billy (lying, fucked up Billy) came back into their lives.  She knows that breaks his heart.

 

“My teacher said that the Punisher was a monster.”  She hears Lisa tell Karen once and she thanks God that Frank doesn’t hear her say it.  “Dads aren’t supposed to be monsters.” She accepts that the world will always see The Punisher as a monster (hopes her daughter changes her mind).  His leaked skull all over the internet, the way the media describes him, that is a monster, only monsters could do what Frank did because he did what no one else can do.  Even the Hell’s Kitchen hero Daredevil couldn’t do what Frank did, Frank saved people that world didn’t care about (Hell’s Kitchen lost Daredevil around the same time The Punisher died the first time, then lost him again a few months later, Karen talks about it with the same expression she gets talking about Matt Murdock) The Punisher was a hero for people who had never had heroes before, it just hurts because she had to lose him.

 

“Why didn't you come home?” She asks late one night as he lays next to her in bed, neither of them can sleep.  Since he came home, he and Karen have stopped her from working herself to death but that means she can't sleep.

“I couldn't.” He whispers after minutes past in silence.

“Bullshit.” She says.

“Once I started,” he said.  “I hoped that I would die, so I wouldn't have to face you.” She doesn't turn towards him.  “I wondered if you were safer with me dead.”

Fuck safer.  She thinks about those nights crying, wishing he were there.

“Fuck safer.” She snarls.  “I'm happier with you alive.” and he holds her hand, a tight grip.

 

They don't fuck, they don't make love.  She knows they could (knows they probably should, they're not old, they're a recently reunited couple, but something holds Frank back when she kisses him hard, so they sleep in the same bed (when Frank sleeps) and they raise their children.  Frank does a lot of the heavy lifting there, every action he makes asks for forgiveness from their children who even though know why their father felt the need to die on them, must recover from the trauma.  Sometimes she wonders as she sees Frank help their children in everyday interactions if they will ever forgive him.

 

Anvil makes her Chief of Operations for the New York branch, it's a fancier title for keeping the numbers straight.  When Billy went down (trapped in a coma, like they're telling people Frank was and isn't that ironic) he drags a lot of the ugly of the company to the surface.  It fell to Maria to make sure it didn't see the light of day (and that makes her feel dirty in a way she can't explain), the government tells her the lie to tell others and she does, she lies to investors, to board members, she does it well.  When the Chairmen of the Board gives her the new position, he shakes her hand and tells her that “it's what Billy would have wanted.” it makes her sick.

 

She watches Frank deliberately hold himself back from touching Karen in her presence and that doesn't mean anything except it does because she does the opposite.  She holds Karen close in tight hugs when she sees her, they hold hands, she sits tight to her on the couch, thighs touching.  There's a tension now where before there wasn't anything and she knows it's because Frank's living presence hangs over their interactions.  Karen lied to her for months about him through omission, so where before it was guilt and mourning holding her back now it's the actual reaction of the living Frank she must worry about.

 

Frank invites the Liebermans over and Maria wants to laugh at the fact that another family got Frank back before she did.  But she also sees the look in Sarah's eyes and knows the suffering the woman felt if Frank could lessen the other woman’s suffering she's glad he did.  The children eye each other while the adults (not really strangers at all, not after what they have been through) pass around hugs.  She and Sarah share a bottle of wine and talk easily, it's a gentle kinship between two like souls.

 

“Did you meet anyone while David was,” Maria’s voice trails off.  And Sarah laughs.

“It's okay to say dead.”  And she doesn’t know how Sarah still smiles after the grief she’s carried (she saw David die twice, Maria never even saw Frank’s body.) “There was no one.”  She chuckles.  “I attempted with Frank, but nothing came of it, he was too caught up in things.” She looks over her glass at Maria.  “But you did, meet someone that is?  “Maria nods.

“But I still love Frank.” She says.  Sarah lost David for a long time and doesn’t have the thoughts Maria does, she wonders if her heart moved on quicker.

“If I've learned anything from this experience,” Sarah says.  “You can love people in different ways.”

 

And that's also something she's not a touching, that L word because she loves Frank, grew to love him, loves him now, doesn't know him all that well (doesn't know the Punisher, doesn't know what being shot in the head and isolated from your family for a year does to a person), but even she can see when “I care for you.” Doesn't quite cover the feelings she has.

 

“I like Karen.” She says one night in their bed.  Frank chuckles.

“Me too.” And she groans and rolls over to face him.

“No Frank, I like Karen.” And she watches him lick his lips, look her in the eyes.

“Me too.” And something releases in her chest and she leans forward to lay on him.

“Is there something wrong with us?” She asks quietly.  “I mean this should be enough right?” She whispers.

“I got shot in the head Maria, what is normal to us?”

 

After that, Frank seems to let's go, he reaches out to Karen in front of her, his hands constantly touching her, sometimes leaning too much into her space, she finds herself not surprised when she comes home to find them in conversation passionately on the floor in front of the couch, their legs intertwined, or to find them bent over the table looking over a case, Frank’s hand on Karen’s back.  Her heart clenches when she comes home to find Lisa and Karen napping on the couch and Frank putting a cover over them. 

 

“How many people did you kill?” She asks him quietly one night and he flinches away from her.

“Don’t ask me that.” He tells her, his eyes are dark and serious.  “Don’t ask me questions that I can’t answer.” And she knows he does it on purpose, makes sure that the Punisher seems irredeemable to her, makes sure she knows that they called him the Punisher for a reason.  She remembers Billy trying to convince her that the Punisher killed Frank to scare her away, sometimes she thinks he may have been right.  The Punisher killed her husband and she's just talking to his corpse.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” She asks Karen once, they're close together (like they're on a date, their thighs touching, their heads bent together) and Karen knows what she's talking about from the way she looks down, nibbles at her lip.

“He trusted me not to.”

“Not at first.” And Karen shakes her head.

“Frank had a death wish when I first met him, there was no way I was telling a grieving widow that her husband was out there, he was the monster on television.  What would that have done for you?  Everyone I talked to about Frank remembered him as this hero and the Punisher was not that man.” She looks down.  “I didn't want to ruin your memory of him especially if he ended up dead anyway.”

“The article?” Maria asks, and Karen turns red.

“I felt like I had a duty to check up on Frank's family, make sure they were alright.” She keeps playing with her nails, so Maria puts her hand on top of hers.  “The Punisher may have been dead to me, but Frank Castle had a family and I wanted to make sure they were okay, see who they were.”

“And why did you stay, come back?”

“I could be honest with you.” With everything but him, goes unsaid.  And their faces are so close now, that their noses bump together, and Maria could kiss her.

“No more secrets, okay Karen?  This won't work if there are secrets.”  And there is nothing she could be talking about besides their relationship, the future of it.  And Karen smiles at her (it doesn't reach her eyes).

“No more secrets.”

 

Frank is nervous.  That can only explain his behavior as they sit in a restaurant.  He tells her he missed an anniversary and a birthday, and this is just the start of him making it up to her.  It's nice (he asks for a table away from the windows and takes the chair with his back away from the door) He holds her hands and orders for her.

They talk about safe topics (not the weather but their kids, work that she's doing, Frank's attempts to come back to life) and then Frank grips her hand.

“How did you end up working for Anvil?” And this edges into unsafe waters and she forces a smile.

“Billy offered me the job personally.” He doesn’t look surprised.  “I was working two jobs to cover the bills I wasn't going to turn him down, I would have been a fool to.” Frank looks down.

“He knew.” And she closes her eyes to avoid this conversation.  “He knew about the attack in the park and did nothing.  He told them.” And she can't avoid the intensity in Frank's voice anymore then she can avoid the truth.  “He told them my family was going to be there, he tried to kill you.”

 

She doesn't tell Karen or Frank, but she visits Billy.  He's been in a coma since that night in Central Park and she sits by his side and tries to casually talk business out loud like he will answer her.  (She's taking his company from him as her revenge, she is allowed this) She talks shit about investors and board members, talks about her kids, the safe stuff between them.  She never mentions Frank, doesn't try to ask him questions (why he betrayed them), she acknowledges early she doesn't want him to wake up (that comes with the acknowledgment that he was evil, the biblical betrayer).  With him still sleep she can pretend he's still the Uncle figure to her kids, still the arrogant asshole of a boss, her friend.  He doesn't wake up or ever react to her stories when she visits, and she thanks God he doesn't.  When the bandages come off, when he wakes up, he won't be any of her Billys anymore.  (One time she runs into Madani when she's leaving, and the two women stare at each other and then go their separate ways.  Billy Russo isn't something you talk about)

 

They said no secrets but there are still things they won’t talk about (Maria’s is Billy, Karen’s is her past, and Frank’s is what’s he done) it hangs over them like a cloud, and Maria doesn’t know who’s going to take the first step to remove it (it won’t be her)

 

Frank comes home bloody one night after the children are sleep, she had stayed up, her face only lit by her laptop when his quiet walk brings him in front of her.  His face is a mess of bruises and from the way, he holds himself, she knows his chest looks the same.  He looks apologetic under her eyes, staring at her, ready for her to condemn him, to sentence him away.

“I thought you were done.” She says, her eyes focused on him and he smiles (a strained, bloody smile)

“I had some unfinished business.” He tells her that one of Curtis’s boys had a niece who got picked up by traffickers.  Frank stepped in before the other man got hurt, Frank can do what needs to be done.  (She learned that Karen has condemned him once, told him that he was dead to her if he had continued, she doesn't know what made her change her mind)

“You have to be done.” She tries to tell him (for their children, for her) his smile is sad, and he doesn't respond.  That night he sleeps on the floor on her side of the floor.  She knows it's because he's terrified of what the night will bring.  They've removed the guns out of his arms reach in their bedroom because he's afraid of spooking and shooting them that now watching him lie out of her reach, she knows it's because he's afraid of himself. 

After that, there are nights where he doesn't come home, he's there in the morning to take their children to school, to kiss her cheek before he leaves but she realizes that he's hiding the Punisher from them not ending it.

 

“I think you need a war, I think you love it.” And it's said in way Karen often says things, that quiet passion that often strips her bare, it's aimed at Frank and Maria stops right on the stairs out of their eyesight when she hears it.

“You think I love it?  Living with knowing I almost got my family killed?” And that's his angry voice, his vulnerable angry voice where he's hurt but trying to hide it.

“You could have stopped,” Karen says.  “I think the moment you realized there was still a threat you were happy because it meant you didn't have to stop.” And when he takes a step towards her she doesn't move.  He stares down at her tense.  “You're still living like you’re at war Frank, you can come home.”

“I am home,” he says intensely.

“Start acting like it.” And she’s leaving.  Maria sees him stare at her as she walks away from him, an unreadable expression on his face.

 

That’s the thing about Karen and Frank interactions, it’s always those passionate conversations, those fiery arguments that last three days, it's them debating for hours over a case, over the other being safe.  She recognizes it for what it is, it's pining, a longing covered up with protectiveness.  Karen can call Frank out but if someone else does it, she's snapping in his defense.  Their interactions carry a warmth with them that she watches them often with bated breath waiting for one to take the first step (it could be her, but it won't)

 

“Maria,” They call each other whenever one of them is running late now, it's supposed to ease their minds.  “I'm running late because someone,” and he sounds so agitated.  “Shot at us.” Her heart goes cold.

“Are you okay?” She stutters over it.

“Yeah we're fine, I told you to drop this story.” He's not talking to her, she realizes he's talking to Karen.

“I can't just drop it!”

“If it's putting you in danger,”

“I have a job to do!”

“Well, I'm finishing it tonight.”

“No, you will not!  Frank!”

“Stop both of you.” Maria barks and they both are quiet on their side of the line.  “What happened?”

“Jamison spooked and tried to kill me,” Karen says, she’s slightly muffled.

‘You’re sure it was him?” Maria asks.  She has her hands on her desk (much fancier then her last, the COO’s office is much nicer than the one that Billy had her in.)

“Yeah, one of his men had him plugged in the phone.” Frank answers.

“I should give you a security detail.”  And she hears them both give sounds of frustration.

“She doesn’t need it, I’m taking out Jamison tonight,” Frank says, and she rolls her eyes.

“No, you’re not.”  She says at the same time as Karen.  “If they’re shooting at her that means she’s close.”

“This isn’t safe!”  Frank says.

“I’d like to remind you that you did a lot of unsafe shit, Frank,” Karen says, and Maria hears him bang the wheel in frustration.

“A security detail might spook him even further,” Karen says into the phone.

“Hopefully he realizes it's because you are friends with dangerous people,” Maria says.  She had hoped after the Punisher and the bombing there had been a sign telegraphed that said, “Don't fuck with Karen Page.” but clearly if hired thugs are shooting at her again, it wasn't bright enough.  Maria and Frank will make sure the message is clear this time.

They're both clearly seething when they get to her office and Maria makes sure her shades are down in case anything happens.  Their damn crusades fill them (their passion, their constant anger) and it's her this time that is the line back to reality (sometimes when she tries to work herself to death they're her line).  She starts with Karen (Frank used to be able to sulk for hours, she'll get to him eventually) and hugs the woman as hard as she can, trying to translate how much she cares to the other woman.  Frank grumbles, she pointedly ignores him.

“Please try to be safer.” She whispers to Karen who sacrifices some of her anger to look guilty under Maria's eyes.  “I like you alive.” She makes eye contact with Frank.  “I like you with us, so does he.” Karen's eyebrows rise, a soft smile appearing for a second before she responds.

“I'm so close on this one,” Karen says, and she shoots a hard glare at Frank.  “You will not ruin this for me.” He takes a step towards her and Maria moves, placing her hand on his chest.  She's in her heels and one of the sharp suits she got on Billy's dime and Frank has never been much for a lot of words.  She kisses him, hard (she hears Karen give a harsh intake of breath, but she doesn’t move) His hands reach for her hips and that’s when she pulls back.  (She is not aiming for sex, she’s just trying to get him to focus on her)

“I’m glad you're safe.” She tells them (and herself) “And I know you'll send these bastards to hell.” She smirks at Frank.  “The right way.”

 

That night after they drop Karen off and the kids are asleep in bed, when she kisses him, he kisses her back, their lips slide together, comforting in the way it feels the same way it has for years.  She thinks of him vibrating with anger earlier, the way he settled under his hand (Karen behind them but close, where she should be)

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”  He says and maybe it’s the playful smirk or his hand on her hip but it all reminds her so much (painfully so) of before he died, before he left them, when they were young 20-year-olds raising their daughter, when every second they had together when he was off deployments, they had to take advantage of because he could be gone in the next second.

“Yeah, it has, you must be out of practice.” She's smirking, they used to joke like this, she knows he has him because he laughs, and he picks her up still so easy, holds her up against their wall, he’s clearly not holding back with her right now and she knows she could take advantage of it.  He mouths at her neck, moves to her collarbones, her stomach.  She missed this, she thinks, missed him, missed the way he makes her gasp when he presses his thigh into her, how protected he made her feel bracketed in his arms, she missed the way he makes her giggle when he has the nerve to slush her. 

“You think I'm out of practice?  Wanna test that?” They are not the 20-year-olds that fucked on every surface anymore (and isn’t that how she ended up pregnant) but they are still young and in love and together and that means something, means they survived, means they made it and everyone who tried to keep them apart couldn't, (she knows that it was Frank’s decisions that kept them apart, he could have, should have come home but sometimes she can think it’s was just Billy, the gangs,  and the corrupt marines and cops and the whole damn government that killed her husband even when he’s right in front of her )

“Don't tire yourself out trying to prove something.” She can feel his chuckle in her chest, he's on his knees, his hands hold her against that brown wall (and they should redecorate the house now that he's back, make it represent the new them, nothing dark, maybe a gold or teal, something that feels like life) stripping her out of her work skirt effortlessly, kissing her thighs, moving up.  He checks in with her before removing her panties, locking eyes and licking his lips.  She nods and then he's licking and sucking at her clit and thrusting with his fingers until she’s shaking, a fist pressed to her mouth to muffle her cries.  Than he carries her to their bed (so easily like she weighs nothing) and continues.  He was always persistent, eager when they had sex, (like a puppy) so focused on her, and nothing about that has changed, (well he’s a little thinner now, more scars and more muscles, he didn't take complete care of himself the last year, it’s different running her hands over bullet wounds that weren’t there before, pressing into bruises from his Punisher nights, makes him moan when she presses hard enough) She comes twice, her legs tensing around his head so hard before he finally strips out of his shorts.  When she rides him, (which feels a lot like coming home) it truly is finally the glorious ‘we’re alive and our enemies are not’ sex that they should have had when they reunited, they should have been having for weeks (they haven’t had sex since his return for a reason, the kids are an easy excuse.  The therapist she still sees occasionally reminds her the real reason is trauma, because of their deeper underlying issues from before he died) but right now this also feels right, because when they fuck slowly face to face, she whimpers out “I love you.” and it doesn’t have any resentment or residual anger, she just loves him, and that year that separated them doesn’t feel like it changed that much.

Sex doesn’t fix their problems, that year still changed them irrevocably, she loves him, but it is not the same.  It's a quieter love, she still wears her ring around her neck just as his band sits on the dresser when he doesn't come home those nights.  He still kisses her like he'll lose her tomorrow (no matter how much she tries to assure him he won’t)

 

They handle Jamieson, he ends up connecting himself to several other important people when the villain monologues and Frank shoots him in the knees.  Karen is visibly shaken on camera but when Frank brings her home, she’s calm but pale.  She’s seen violence before, lived it, which is obvious, but her secrets are hers.  Karen's secrets eventually come out though, with the return of Matthew Murdock.  Daredevil saves Karen's life and Frank is upset (Maria isn't sure if it's because he sees himself in Murdock's return or at Karen's continuing to endanger herself)

 

“We’re not like you.” Karen tries to tell her.  “I and Matt don't work like you two do.” She looks down.  “He loves someone else.”

“And you love him?” And Karen looks so conflicted (and that shouldn't boost her heart the way it does)

“I don't know.”

 

Matt Murdock’s return makes things tense between Karen and Frank in a way that Maria doesn’t understand. 

 

“Red hated me, Karen tried to help me, I think it drove them apart, showed her who he really was, she blamed me for it for a minute.”  Frank looks away from Maria, she’s lying on his chest, so he can’t avoid her.  “I think she wishes I had his sense of justice, of morality, wishes I wasn’t such a bad guy compared to him, wishes she didn’t have to defend me.”

 

“Frank if you’re a monster, I’m a monster,” Karen says.  They had been drinking and Maria is laid out on the couch, her eyes closed.  Karen sits on the ground near her feet, Frank across from her.

“You’re drunk,” he tells her with a laugh in his throat. 

“But you’re not a monster.”  She insists with little hiccups.  “So why do I feel like one?” And Frank frowns.

“You’re a good person, Page.”    He says after a pause.  He darts a glance at Maria, but she closes her eyes (she knows when a conversation should be private).

“Good people don’t do what I’ve done.”  She says and Frank slides forward to meet her.

“What are you talking about?”  She sees Karen turn her head away from him.

“Good people don’t kill people.”  And Frank stills.

“Talk to me, Karen.” He says, one of his hands grabbing her hand.

“His name was Wesley, he was Fisk’s second in command.” Frank's body flinches at Fisk's name.  “I was poking around with Ben and somehow Wesley found out.” And Karen sounds like she's crying, and Maria wants to reach out, but Frank discreetly shakes his head no.   “He killed Ben, bragged about it, put the gun on the table between us and said I wouldn't shoot him.”

“You did.” He says quietly.

“Until it was empty.” and she gasps it out quiet and pitiful.  It all speaks too much like a confession for Maria but even she is ill-prepared for the way that Frank grips Karen's face gently between his hands, forcing her to look at him.

“Who's gotten into your head?” He asks quietly more towards himself them her.  “If you hadn't shot Wesley you would be dead and the Karen Page I know knows that.” 

“There is always another way.” She whispers.

“Tell me Red didn’t condemn you for defending yourself.”  And this is so out of Maria’s realm.  “You would be dead Karen!”  He snarls low with passion.

“No!  Matt doesn’t know.” She whispers it, still matching his tone.  He chuckles low (mirthless).

“So, this is just you are feeling sorry for yourself because your black and white world got a little gray, and now Red’s back and you know if he knew what you did,” And he’s sneering at her and Maria bites her lips, she’s heard enough. 

“He’d hate me.”  And Karen sounds sober (sad and frustrated)

“You condemned me, why?  I reminded you too much of yourself?”

“Fuck you, Frank.”  She says, standing up and he’s up with her gripping her arm.  “I just wanted,”

“What?  You didn’t do anything wrong Page, get that through your head.  You’re a good person, a survivor.”  And she’s frowning at him.  “I know you and Red got history, all these secrets that would tear you further apart because he doesn't know you.”  And she starts trying to move away.  “But you will always have a place with us, regardless.” And she stops.  “If you want it.”  He amends.  And something in her expression breaks and she’s sobbing into Frank’s chest. 

“I just got him back.”  She’s saying.

“There is no rush.” He says, his voice now unbearably soft, his hand cupping her cheek, wiping away her tears.  “We’ll be here.”

 

“If this is your security team in front of my house, we’re going to fight,” Karen says on the phone, she sounds frustrated and Maria worries she overstepped.

“Maybe you should realize that you have a lot of enemies who are a lot more dangerous than you think they are.”  She’s talking about Fisk, she’s talking about all the assholes that want to shut Karen up.  There is a pause.

“You were awake.” She sounds exhausted.

“Yep.”  She says softly.  “I heard everything.”  And Karen sighs, Maria can see her in her head, Karen leaning on her door, the phone pressed to her ear, probably wearing one of those blue blouses she has, those black flats (she stopped wearing heels on normal days a long time ago, it's easier to run in flats).

“Are you okay?” And it’s said in a way that she’s worried about Maria judging her.

“Not with him being an asshole to you.”  And it's a quick response that doesn’t really analyze her true feelings (Love has taken her moral compass to the mud, being a COO of a company has only accelerated its descent) “But Frank was right about the rest of it.” Especially the end.   Karen sighs again.

“Maria,” She starts, and Maria really hopes she’s not being rejected over the phone.  “What do you two want from me?”  And Maria exhales.

“Anything you can give.”  And the laugh Karen gives isn’t nice sounding.

“And if I don’t know what that is?”  Karen Page, always searching for answers.

“Like Frank said, we can wait.”

 

The thing is Maria isn’t going into this blind (she’s also not google searching ‘I and my husband love the same women, help.’).  It’s more about being aware of what everyone wants (she wants stability, Frank wants constants, she can't quite see what Karen wants), it’s about what everyone gains.  It's not as it looks on the surface (older couple invites the younger woman in), it's three working relationships, three changing relationships shifting.  It's Maria and Frank being bridged with Karen and Frank being combined with Maria and Karen.  But it's also realizing when to pull back (every step forward with Karen, is often matched with her going two steps forward with Frank, who will, in turn, go half a step back with Karen before making up, it's growing in love more and more every day).  So, when Karen tries to pretend like she's just close with the Castle family (and wasn’t that an interesting meeting between Maria and Foggy), Maria goes with her.  When Frank pretends that the base of his feelings ends at protectiveness with Karen she acknowledges it.  She came to terms that she cared (loved) both deeply months ago so it is up to her to gently push for them to stop being pairs and start acting like one.  But that would be dealing with the too many secrets still between them. 

 

Maybe, that is how she ends up here, it's one of those fancy black-tie events, different C.E.Os from various companies interacting with the local politicians.  She received an invite for being an “integral part” of Anvil and her plus one, fidgets in his suit, a simple black suit and bow tie (it doesn’t do any justice to him the way his military dress uniform did but it’s time for her to leave those memories in the past).  She places a gentle hand on his arm and smiles at him and Frank smiles back.  He’s out of place here and knows it but he’s here for her.  She’s thankful.  She hated going to these things with Billy, being with Frank will be more fun.

“Maria,” Karen sweeps past the crowd, looking absolutely stunning in a long maroon dress, a press pass hangs from her neck and with her heels she’s taller than both her and Frank and Maria can’t stop the fond smile that comes on her lips.  “Thank you.” The other woman says hugging Maria tightly.  “If you hadn’t vouched for me they weren’t going to let me in.”

“But you're my other plus one.”

“And a well-known journalist,” Frank says, his look is soft (fond the same way Maria's was) Karen laughs, slipping the press pass into her clutch, earning a snort from Frank.

“I needed into this event, Senator Harris hasn't been seen in person in weeks and with trafficking kids trending on the news, and his vote needed to pass the bill, everyone wants to hear how he will vote.  And there's the Congresswoman.” Karen pauses, nods and smiles to someone passing.  “She's been vocal, but I talked to one of her aids, nothing has been written down.” Maria sees her boss signaling to her, and Karen gently moves away from her side.

“Dance with her Frank so she doesn't draw too much attention.  Mark wants me.” And Karen blushes and Frank smirks.  Maria pushes them away and goes to introduce herself to someone or another.    Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Karen and Frank pressed together, gently swaying to the soft classical music.  She does a few circuits of the room, ensuring she talks to everyone she needs to, Frank and Karen have since left the dance floor (probably to go harass the government officials)

“Maria Castle?” She turns her head and sees Franklin Nelson standing to her left.

“Foggy right?”  Nelson and Murdock are such a big part of Karen's past, she knows who Foggy is outside of his job, (she knows who Matthew Murdock is too even though she's never met him) she's also aware of the hold his firm has on the city.  “Karen's friend.” The man takes her hand lightly, but his shake is firm.  She thinks even looking at him that he doesn’t belong here, but his suit fits him well and he stands securely.  (But she apparently isn't that great a judge of character)

“I saw Karen and Frank over with the Congressman, so I knew you had to be here.” And Maria raises her eyebrows at him.  “Hogarth stands by her offer.” And Maria rolls her eyes, already walking away.  “Mrs. Castle, please.” He says walking with her.

“Anvil already has its own lawyers.” She informs him again and he keeps talking as if her sentence was originally supposed to be in his monologue.

“You know they've already failed you, we know our city and its connections and if you're going to be employing people like Mr. Castle,” Her heels come to a stop on the polished floor.

“We don't employ Frank.” She says slowly.

“We both know,” Foggy says.  “That after your former CEO’s unfortunate demise,” And the way he says it, she knows he knows, because he says former CEO like he's spitting it out.  “That Anvil needs something to keep it strong in the states.” He lowers his voice.  “Discreetly providing the government with more super soldiers will ensure your contracts never end.”  

“Frank isn't a super soldier.” She finally settles on telling him.  “And what Anvil does is not Hogarth’s business.” And Foggy smiles.  (She revises her opinion on how soft his heart really is)

“But it could be, think about it, Mrs. Castle.” And she, unfortunately, gets to watch him walk away.  Yes, Anvil has plans for super soldiers, they want Frank to be involved with the testing (and she will never tell him).  Hogarth has started championing herself (quietly) as a lawyer for heroes but Maria knows that Frank is beyond that (if he is caught, he will go to prison, no one can save him now) but Hogarth offers him protection that Maria can't give him.  It makes her offer tempting.

“Is this your husband Ms. Page?” Someone is asking Karen when Maria walks upon her and Frank.  Karen's blush is bright, and Maria can't help but smile.

“No!” She says gently swatting at Frank's arm.  “We're just really good friends.  Frank is actually,” And Frank chuckles, reaching forward to shake the Congressman’s hand.  He's one of the younger congressmen, Allen.

“My wife is Maria Castle, Anvil, I’m Frank.” And something quickly passed the Congressman's face.  He recognizes Frank and Maria’s heart leaps into her throat, but Frank's smile is easy as he shakes the man's hand.  He didn't see.

“Frank Castle, what happened to you was a tragedy.” Congressman Allen says and Frank frowns.  Worst then a tragedy, Maria thinks.  The official story is that Frank went into a coma and another body was mislabeled as his.  He woke up only a few months ago (it's a story that people only believe if they believe in miracles).  The fact that the Congressman knows it makes her eyebrows raise.  “We should treat our veterans better” Frank nods letting go of his hand.

“Congressman Allen isn't there a law about to be signed specifically addressing veterans?” Karen asks, redirecting the attention back.  Maria slides up and slips her fingers into Frank's hand and he sends her a grateful smile.  

She does get a chance to dance with Frank, it’s towards the end of the night and it’s so reminiscent of the old military balls they would go to that she almost has to pinch herself but Frank flinches under her hands when she presses too hard on bruises from his Punisher nights that it brings her back to reality.  She also gets to dance with Karen in the hallway, short and sweet before they leave.

That night Karen seems to linger in the parking garage before they separate, she's holding both of their hands and seems hesitant to let go.

“We’ll see you at dinner tomorrow?” Frank asks and Karen swallows.

“Actually, I have a bottle of wine back at my place, if you want to come over tonight?” And there is something hesitant in her voice that makes Maria answer quickly.

“We would love to.”

Maybe that’s how she ends up here, barefoot against Karen’s kitchen floor, her back pressed against the counter, as Frank kisses her.  It’s easy to get lost in Frank’s kisses, his lips sliding over hers the same way they have for years but this time she has her eyes open so can see Karen watching them.  (that aspect heightens everything, Karen has seen so much of her, maybe this is really the final thing), when Frank comes up to breathe, she puts a gentle hand on his jaw to point his head towards Karen.  Maybe he will have words where Maria’s fail right now, and he does.

“Come here.”   Seeing Frank and Karen kiss she feels like she’s falling but in a good way, Frank is gentle with her, holds her face in his hands, soft in all the ways the world has made him hard.  “Is this okay?” He asks softly, and Karen looks at her, her lips red, her eyes wide open.  Maria nods, and Karen sighs in relief.

“Yes.” She tells Frank and this time it’s her leaning forward first.  She watches them kiss, Frank slides his hands around her waist, bracketing Karen in his arms.  He kisses Karen like he needs her (and Maria knows he does, Karen dragged him back to life, after all, made him remember) when Frank leans back and looks at Maria he looks hopelessly lost but he shifts easily and releases Karen, Maria feels a lot like she's up to bat at the big game when she looks up into the other woman's eyes.

“There is no pressure,” Maria says.  If Karen is only attracted to Frank she's prepared for that (her mind is, her heart not so much) but Karen only smiles and leans down and presses their lips together, just a soft push.   Kissing Karen is like drowning but it's so good, and Maria leans into it.  Frank is on Karen's other side, his hand reaching around for Maria's hip.  When Karen moans into Maria's mouth, she pulls back.

“I have a bed.” Karen gasps out, Frank is kissing her neck, pressed against her back.  Maria thinks a bed would be an excellent idea but Frank chuckles into Karen's neck.

“The kids.” He reminds them, and Maria leans her head back (narrowly missing the cabinets), Karen grips her side, and Frank's hand are on Karen's and Maria doesn't feel trapped but protected in this little New York apartment in Hell's Kitchen.

“Does this mean we can take you on dates now?” She asks Karen.  And the other woman laughs into her neck.

“No diners,” she says and Frank snorts and that's what it takes for all three of them to be laughing in Karen's kitchen, forgotten glasses of wine on the counter.

 

“So, I and Frank can go on dates alone and,”

“Yes,” Maria says easily.  She knows that in their separate places they mirror each other, both of their laptops open on their laps, their phones on speaker.  It’s a Punisher night and Maria sits alone on her couch after ensuring her kids were in bed.   “Your relationship with Frank is still your relationship with Frank, just as what we have is what we have, we just interact a little differently now.”

“And if I wanted to be with someone else?”  And Maria knows that she's talking about Matt Murdock, knows that Karen is still so conflicted being involved with them, maybe they moved too fast, but Karen said it was okay.  She takes a deep breath.

“Then that’s your decision Karen, we don’t want to limit you at all, just make sure you’re aware that we care about you, that we like you, that you have a place with us.”

“And that is as what?”

“As our partner,” Maria says.  She and Frank had debated about the word choice, she’s a married woman, having a girlfriend just doesn’t sound right, and considering Karen wouldn’t just be her girlfriend but also Frank’s partner.  It fit, it was good (superhero implications aside) it just made sense.  Karen would be their partner regardless of if she was kissing them or not.   She hears the woman release a breath on the other side of the line.

“You sound so certain.”

“Of how I feel about you?  It’s because I am, certain that is.” And she hears Karen laugh a little.

 

Karen laughs like that when Maria is underneath her.  She’s a grown woman, who has been with women before, but the majority of adult life was with Frank, so being with Karen like this, it’s partly about discovering what she likes again.  Karen who is only hesitant for seconds before she takes the lead.   Karen who is so intent on making her feel good, and so talented with her tongue.  Karen who visits her at work for “interviews” and always puts the blinds down.  Karen’s who’s breathy whispers of harder fuel Maria’s fantasies.

 

Catching Karen after she sees Frank becomes a treat because Frank acts like a teenager, they all do in their own little ways, but Frank has jumped into this (this partnership) head first, he always when given an inch takes a mile.   Karen gets the bigger brunt from that, her lips red from kissing, her hair constantly out of her ponytails, her clothes eschew, and Frank still moves like a ghost, so sometimes she’ll pick Karen up from work and witness a blushing Karen with hickeys on her neck, her hair free, or walk into her house to find Karen sitting on her couch alone, a soft smile still on her face.  She especially likes being able to put her own lips on Karen afterward, leave her own marks on the other side of her neck, have the woman gasping beneath her lips.  It’s fun, exciting to grind on each other on the couch like the teenagers she accuses Frank of acting like, it’s new and she loves it, at least until Lisa almost catches them once.

  

“We have to tell the kids.” She tells Frank one of the nights that he's lying beside her.

“Lisa already figured it out.”

“We’re assuming she has, we should just be straightforward.  We don’t need Frankie going to school talking about his father kissing another woman or his mother kissing another woman, Especially his previously dead father.”  She feels Frank roll over to face her.

“He wouldn’t.”  He sees how serious her face is.  “That boy,” His laughter is contagious and comfortable.  “I’ll tell the kids, don’t worry about it.”  He presses his forehead to hers, kisses her gently, “This okay?”  And he's not just talking about the kids, obviously, but Maria just kisses him again.

“Always.”

 

“I love your mom.”  She hears him tell them.  “And me and her, we like Karen, the way we like each other.”

“So, you’re dating Mrs. Page?”  And Lisa was always so smart for her age, and she hears Frank’s low chuckle.

‘Yes, I and your mom are dating Ms. Page.” There’s a pause.  “It’s a secret Frankie, which means you can't tell anyone.”

“You guys are pretty obvious for a secret.”

‘Hey!   Lisa come back!”

 

It’s a honeymoon phrase, Maria doesn’t believe it until Curtis points it out to Frank who points it out to her.  They’re not exclusive with Karen but they've fully integrated her into their unit, into their relationship.  She fits in a space that Maria didn’t know was there, a space that may have been created in Frank’s absence but doesn't feel like it shouldn't be there with Frank there.  She likes it a lot.  It’s a stability that she didn’t realize she needed.  That’s why this is easy.  Kissing Karen is an easy slide of the lips, touching Karen is like figuring out a puzzle that she knows like the back of hand, making Karen come on her fingers, leaving marks in Karen’s skin, it’s all easier than it has any right being and when Frank is behind her kissing her neck as she kisses Karen, it’s like everything slides into place. 

 

One of the greatest parts about her partnership is watching Frank fuck Karen, because it is truly being a work of art, maybe it’s because Karen looks like a renaissance painting of an angel, her blonde hair all over the place, as her head thrown back in ecstasy.  Their bodies pressed together as Frank grinds into Karen, her gasps, quiet yet needy sounding.  Her hands press hard into his bruises from his nights out.  Frank shakes under her hold like it’s just Karen’s hands holding him together.  Maria is glad that she arrived when she did because Frank and Karen had been pretending that they were moving slowly for her sake.  But she knows what today is for Karen (two years since she entered Matt Murdock’s world) and she had seen the news, it had been a Punisher night.  The two of them might have needed her (or she needed them) but seeing them like this, rough but yet so tender with each other, she doesn’t want to interrupt.  So, she doesn’t, she watches, aware that they know that she’s there

 

She runs into Matthew Murdock on the street, it’s unlikely and knowing what she knows about the man, probably on purpose.

“Matt Murdock.”  The blind man says, nodding his hand.  He’s a mystery behind his glasses, dressed like he’s headed to court.  He’s a myth, she thinks, dangerous, she realizes. 

“Maria Castle, Anvil Industries.”  She says, stopping herself from trying to shake a blind’s man hand.  And the smile that comes on his face seems to be a practiced one.

“Karen’s friend.”  He says.  “Foggy has talked about you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”  She says in response and he seems to grimace.

“I can’t imagine what.” And Maria can tell from the tightening of his jaw that he can tell exactly what.

“What do you want, Mr. Murdock?”  She finally asks.

“I wanted to say thank you.”  He says softly.  “You were there for Karen when I wasn’t.”  And she waits for it, for the ‘I’m alive now and I would appreciate if you and your husband could back off,’ the ‘do you know your husband is a killer?’ but he doesn’t say any of that.  “She needed someone, I’m glad it was you.”  And Maria looks away from him, practices what she’s going to say.

“You mean a lot to her.”  She says.  “I’m glad you’re okay, Mr. Murdock.”  And Matt looks down at his shoes. 

“It was good to finally meet you, Maria.  You really do seem as good as Karen says.”

Good people, she thinks, don’t willingly kiss a killer every night.  Good people don’t make contingency plans in the off chance that someone tries to hurt their partners.  Good people, she also thinks, don’t let their loved ones think they’re dead for long periods of time.

 

“I think I love them both.” She whispers one day in the silence of Billy’s hospital room.  “What’s wrong with me?”

 

They truly do fall together, moving together as not only a unit but parts in the aftermath, it’s not perfect by a long shot.  She still wears her ring around her neck and he kisses it when she rides him.  Karen has articles on her computer she never talks about, and Frank teaches Karen how to shoot straight every time not caring when her hands eventually shake.  And Frank is still fighting a war within his head, but he comes home in the morning, kisses Maria awake.  It’s more than Maria dreamed she would have.  It’s something she never even imagined was possible.  It’s something she never wants to let go of.

 

It ends like this, she goes to visit Billy and he’s not there.  He’s gone, woken up.  She wonders how she’s going to tell Frank.

Karen knocks on her door with a bloody Matthew, begging with her eyes for help.  Most of Karen’s first enemies come from him, they’re in this fight together.

Frank is targeted and Hell’s Kitchen burns again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised this before the end of Pride Month but Pride Month is actually forever.
> 
> Catch me over at ConsistentHero on Tumblr


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